“I think we’re working our way out of this recession. It’s going to be a slow recovery, but I think now is not the time to raise anyone’s taxes and we should not let the Bush tax cuts expire,” Ross told about two dozen people gathered at the Cleveland County fairgrounds.
“The American people want to see new spending paid for, but they do not want a tax increase. This is not new spending. It’s just continuing a tax that’s already in place,” Ross told reporters after the town hall.
“Nancy Pelosi didn’t send me to Washington. Cleveland County did, and that’s who I’m going to represent,” Ross said.
Yeah, considering the economic statistics of Cleveland County, I don’t think Ross is really representing them on this issue. Considering that only about 18 families there make more than 200k a year according to the last count, I don’t think they’re going to notice getting rid of the overwhelmingly regressive Bush tax cuts. And come to think of it, aren’t the Blue Dogs supposed to be interested in fiscal responsiblity and eliminating the deficit? If that’s the case, you’d think they’d be all in favor of eliminating the Bush tax cuts considering how big an impact they’ve had on it:
But Washington is providing only a trickle of help, and even that grudgingly. We must place priority on reducing the deficit, say Republicans and “centrist” Democrats. And then, virtually in the next breath, they declare that we must preserve tax cuts for the very affluent, at a budget cost of $700 billion over the next decade.
In effect, a large part of our political class is showing its priorities: given the choice between asking the richest 2 percent or so of Americans to go back to paying the tax rates they paid during the Clinton-era boom, or allowing the nation’s foundations to crumble — literally in the case of roads, figuratively in the case of education — they’re choosing the latter.
Mike Ross fought to kill health care reform when huge majorities of his constituents would benefit from it. He voted repeatedly against Wall Street Reform despite all the damage that’s been done to our economy by the big banks. Now he’s taking up for the wealthiest Americans at the expense of his own constituents. This is a man who rails on spending that he says will explode the deficit when it really won’t and then defends deficit exploding give aways to the wealthy. It’s not a matter of left and right, liberal or conservative-it’s a matter of being able to add and subtract. I’d say that Ross, like other conservatives, has lost that ability, but the reality is that they’ve had it all along and just don’t give a rat’s ass about anyone not making a six figure income or more.
I absolutely do not support this lawsuit. Arizona is simply passing legislation to curtail illegal immigration, something the federal government has failed to do over the past few decades. Arizona is acting out of pure necessity as illegal immigration, drug trafficking, gang wars and crime is now pouring into their state from Mexico. Illegal immigration has reached epic proportions and we must act. We should be focused on securing the U.S. & Mexican border – not on suing states that pass tough immigration laws.
Yeah…and it opens the door to legalized harrassment of someone based on their looks, accent, etc. You know, “reasonable suspicion“. But apparently Ross doesn’t have a problem with it. So, got a funny accent? Cops can stop you. Brown skin? Cue the sirens. Welcome to Mike Ross’s America.
Oh, and as Max Brantley pointed out, being an undocumented immigrant isn’t a crime, it’s a status that, under federal law, the appropriate response is removal from the country, by the federal government. Seriously, why isn’t this guy a Republican?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Remember when Mike Ross got his little award from the insurance companies for standing up for them in the health care debate? Well, some of his constituents decided to beat Wall Street banks to the punch:
On Wednesday, July 7 citizens affiliated with Americans for Financial Reform and Arkansas Community Organizations delivered a “Wall Street Wonder Award” to Representative Mike Ross’ office at 100 E. 8th Street in Pine Bluff at 2:30 PM in response to his vote against the House Financial Reform bill last week. Members of the citizens’ group pointed out that Representative Ross voted for the Wall Street bailout and now has voted again in line with Wall Street lobbyists to oppose financial reform.
“Representative Ross has been consistent in his support for Wall Street from the $700 billion bailout in 2008 to his votes against Financial Reform. Lobbyists for the big banks are spending more than $1 million per day to stop Financial Reform. We are very disappointed that our Congressman chose Wall Street over Main Street,” said Maxine Nelson, chair of the West Side Community Organization in Pine Bluff.
“The Financial Reform bill that passed in the House is not perfect, but it provides many needed protections to consumers and safeguards for our economy. For years many of us have fought to stop predatory lending practices. Now we will have a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that can make rules to protect consumers in Arkansas and other states,” said Ms. Nelson.
“We call on our two senators to work hard to put Financial Reform across the finish line. We don’t need to water down the bill. We need to get the job done this month,” added Ms. Nelson.
The organization also handed out information about the impact of Financial Reform on small banks.
Mike Ross is way out of touch with his constituents (not that his Republican opponent is any different mind you). He stands up for corporate America, Wall Street, the big insurance companies, the big banks, etc. while his district is beyond the recession-it’s been in a depression for decades. If ever there was a Democrat who needed to be run out in a primary, it’s him.
Wall Street Reform passed in the House of Representatives this week. It did so with the vote of Vic Snyder, but without votes from Marion Berry and Mike Ross. Ross apparently decided to do his typical thing and lie to his constituents about how this measure would hurt local banks, but a local grassroots group representing the Arkansas chapter of Americans for Financial Reform was quick to correct him:
“In today’s paper Representative Ross said that the bill would hurt small banks. Yet today’s Wall Street Journal reports that small banks will actually gain under the provisions of the bill. His objections are just smoke and mirrors to protect the interests of the big Wall Street banks. Arkansas consumers deserve better,”
That’s right, and it’s why someone ought to primary Ross in 2012. But that aside (for the present moment), conservatives in both parties are telling the lie that this will hurt the economy. Completely false, this is to fix the problem that caused the collapse and the recession in the first place, but they’re running with it and showing their true colors in the process. Conservatives stand up for Wall Street and big business, right or wrong. The rest of us get kicked in the teeth.
And it wasn’t just the two bad Democrats in our delegation who showed their true stripes. John Boozman voted no too, and Lincoln’s campaign nailed him on it. However, the incident really served to highlight just how huge the task ahead of Lincoln is. She’s trying to run as this anti-Wall Street crusader, and she should be commended for her work on Wall Street Reform, but after her shilling for the Walton’s, among other illustrious moments in her career, it’s incredibly hard to take her seriously. Don’t get me wrong, she’s right on this point-Boozman is Wall Street’s lap dog 24/7…and Lincoln has only been in that position 24/5 (she takes the weekends off to do her derivatives legislation). Don’t get me wrong, it’d be great if Lincoln saw the light and dove straight in to protecting the little guy from big corporations…but she’s got a long way to go.
Oh, and if you’re on the left and still not convinced that we should pass this bill, watered down as it is, I’d suggest you read Chris Bowers’s analysis.
Imagine a world where your internet service provider can determine where you get your information from and what information you get. In this world, the content you can access on the internet is limited by how much you pay,, or by your broadband provider’s attempt to restrict information and applications from their competitors. And it could well go beyond that. We’ve seen over the last couple of years how corporate abuses extend through so many levels of our society. Can you imagine what they could do with a restricted internet?
In a move that will stoke a battle over the future of the Internet, the federal government plans to propose regulating broadband lines under decades-old rules designed for traditional phone networks.
The decision, by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, is likely to trigger a vigorous lobbying battle, arraying big phone and cable companies and their allies on Capitol Hill against Silicon Valley giants and consumer advocates.
Breaking a deadlock within his agency, Mr. Genachowski is expected Thursday to outline his plan for regulating broadband lines. He wants to adopt “net neutrality” rules that require Internet providers like Comcast Corp. and AT&T Inc. to treat all traffic equally, and not to slow or block access to websites.
The decision has been eagerly awaited since a federal appeals court ruling last month cast doubt on the FCC’s authority over broadband lines, throwing into question Mr. Genachowski’s proposal to set new rules for how Internet traffic is managed. The court ruled the FCC had overstepped when it cited Comcast in 2008 for slowing some customers’ Internet traffic.
In a nod to such concerns, the FCC said in a statement that Mr. Genachowski wouldn’t apply the full brunt of existing phone regulations to Internet lines and that he would set “meaningful boundaries to guard against regulatory overreach.”
It’s a good move, but as we’ve all seen by now, big corporations own Congress at this stage in the game, the Republican party totally, and the Democratic party to a large degree. In fact, between the Republican party and the conservadems, it looks like a majority in the House oppose this commonsense effort to protect a free internet, with a number of them signing on to a Republican letter expressing opposition. Among the names, Mike Ross. His reasons? Probably has something to do with this the $65,000 dollars in telecom industry and lobbyist money he’s taken. Lord knows it wouldn’t be the first time Ross stood up for big business or exhibited that all too common soft (and sometimes not so soft) corruption. He did so all through the health care and energy debates in the House, and he did so when the Wall Street Reform vote was first held in that chamber.
Tell Ross to back down. Call his office, (202) 225-3772, and let him know you support net neutrality. And if you’re in his district, I’d let him know you’re tired of his shilling for big corporations.
As most of you know, the house passed the compromise DADT repeal yesterday. (About damn time something was done.) Vic Snyder was the only yes vote from the Arkansas delegation. No statement yet from Marion Berry, who has never been a supporter of LGBT issues. However, Mike Ross put out this little statement:
“I think the current Clinton policy is working and should not be changed. The Pentagon is also conducting a formal review of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law and its impact on our troops. Before Congress acts on this issue, we must let the Pentagon complete its study and reach an agreement among military leadership whether a change is necessary. Just this week, the chiefs of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps each asked Congress not to repeal the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law at this time.”
Right. I’ll let Max Brantley’s excellent retort handle this one:
An Iraqi veteran sponsored the repeal, of course, and it’s endorsed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Ross prefers guidance from the bigots of the military. He flatly prefers to keep the policy, whiich he says is “working.” If, by working, you mean the U.S. has tossed 13,000 valuable troops from armed service because somebody snitched on their personal life, well, yes, that’s “working.” Ross favors discrimination against gay people on account of their essential being. It matters not a bit how competent and valuable they might be or how separate their sexual identity might be from their workplace. He should be ashamed. But Mike Ross knows no shame.
You have no idea how bad I want to give this guy the Lincoln treatment in 2012.
It’s been a little while since Mike Ross has given my blood a reason to boil but we all knew it was just the matter of time. I get regular email updates from his office, just to keep a close eye on what he’s doing, and tonight he sent me something that just made me groan.
Dear friends,
On May 6, 2010, the United States celebrated its 59th annual National Day of Prayer. This important tradition is observed on the first Thursday of May each year and invites people of all faiths to pray for this nation. However, because of a federal judge’s recent court ruling, this year’s celebration could very well be our last.
Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day.
The National Day of Prayer transcends politics and is meant to be a unifying event. Each year, the most visible National Day of Prayer gathering is held at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The executive, legislative and judicial branches of government are represented, as well as the military. In 2009, approximately 40,000 events were held nationwide. Local volunteers and coordinators held a variety of activities ranging from prayer breakfasts, Bible reading marathons, concerts of prayer, rallies, church prayer vigils, student flagpole gatherings and observances held in sports stadiums.
However, on April 15, 2010, Judge Barbara Crabb of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin struck down the law establishing the National Day of Prayer deeming it unconstitutional in the case of Freedom from Religion Foundation, Inc. v. Barack Obama. The President has offered his support for the National Day of Prayer and his administration has planned to appeal the decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.
Judge Crabb’s decision is completely unacceptable to me and I believe most Americans share my view. This country was built upon the religious principles of our founders and those principles must remain the basis for our American way of life, which is why I strongly support the National Day of Prayer. God has given this country so many blessings and we owe Him our thanks through prayer. Given the bitterly partisan divide in Congress, I believe one thing we should all be able to agree on and unite behind is prayer.
You know, this is the kind of thing that gets me in trouble when I talk about it, especially with new readers who don’t know my views on religion. I do consider myself religious, and, specifically a Christian. However, I am not a fundamentalist. I do not set out attempting to convert others to my faith or bash them over the heads with how pious and God fearing I want them to think I am. And whether they pray or not (and to whom or what) is their own damn business and none of mine. And that said, I, for one, don’t give a rat’s behind about the National Day of Prayer. I couldn’t tell you what day it is, have only been vaguely aware of its existence, and I’m willing to bet that most Americans are in the same boat. Beyond that, I don’t like the idea of government getting involved in the religious square. Sure they’re not forcing anyone to do it, but declaring a national day of prayer strikes me as something that the United States government probably shouldn’t be doing given that little think called the Establishment Clause in the 1st Amendment. (And no Ross, this nation wasn’t founded on our founders’ Christian faith and principles. Hell, most of them couldn’t get elected today because of their religious views or lack thereof!)
Now, it’s funny that Mike Ross is demagoguing on this for several reasons. Remember, this is the guy that’s happy spoiling all creation with pollution from fossil fuels. It’s the same guy who first, tried to weaken the health care reform bill to please the insurance companies at the expense of uninsured and suffering Americans, ultimately voting against the bill (twice) all while enjoying the perks of his office and then some while his constituents badly needed reform. Oh and he’s already voted against Wall Street reform once, and I bet he’ll do it again. Not to mention there’s the fact that every time he opens his mouth another lie falls out. But at least he’s a good Christian, right? And there we have the canard of conservative politicians. The dangle Jesus in your face and talk up how God fearing they are. If they can find something to lead the pitchfork and torch armed mob against they’ll do it in a heart beat. In the meantime, they kick those in need in the teeth and enjoy all the benefits their positions have to offer, turning Congress into a modern day “den of thieves.” And yes, there’s no mistake about it, Ross is one of the thieves, a modern day Pharisee.
And you know what’s really rotten? Ross’s attempt at demagoguery is so transparent that when talking about his efforts to do all that he can to ”protect the National Day of prayer” he even works in a CYA clause in his little letter:
As your U.S. Congressman and as a Christian, I will do all that I can to protect our country’s National Day of Prayer. That is why I am helping to lead efforts in Congress to preserve this almost 60-year tradition. I have helped introduce H.R. 1273, a congressional resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives that declares “the National Day of Prayer is constitutional and a needed tribute to the value of prayer and a fitting acknowledgment of our Nation’s religious history.”
H.R. 1273 is a congressional resolution that, if passed, will express the affirmed opinion of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the National Day of Prayer. However, it cannot overturn a federal judge’s ruling. The constitutionality of the law establishing the National Day of Prayer will be determined in the federal court system as the case moves through the appeals process, which may take years.
So even in his own letter touting his own resolution Ross admits that this really isn’t going to do anything. Apparently, he has so much contempt for his constituents intelligence that he thinks they won’t be able to catch that. One more reason that I’m all for primarying this guy when 2012 comes around.
Now to be fair, Ross’s senseless demagoguery isn’t entirely unexpected in Arkansas. That doesn’t matter though, it’s still shameful. But you know what? If Ross’s voting record reflected for concern for the downtrodden and for the outcast, you know, the people Jesus stood up for, I might cut him some slack on this. Unfortuneatly for all of us, it doesn’t.
And while I’m in this vein of thought, I’ll let Julia Sugarbaker give you an idea what I’d like to say to Ross’s face:
Arkansas Blog has an image showing that the (Arkansas) NAACP gave the majority of the Arkansas delegation, including Blanche Lincoln, an F for their inability to work for black Arkansans.
Click to see original:
She gets the F in part due to her not giving a single black nominee to the president for judgeships in Arkansas and for voting against the reconciliation health care package that will benefit many low income people who need health insurance. A large portion of those people are African Americans. Her wish-washy position on the EFCA and the black farmers settlement issue didn’t help either. Other lawmakers recieving F’s were Mark Pryor (for the same reasons), Mike Ross, Marion Berry, and John Boozman. Mike Ross and John Boozman were distinguished for having received not just an F, but a 0. They didn’t even bother to turn in their homework.
Vic Snyder of AR-02 got an A though. Showing that you can get elected in Arkansas and still do what is right. Democrats need to make sure that AR-02 follows Vic Snyder’s example. It would be great if the rest of the state could get on that boat too.
Rep. Mike Ross earlier this month received a citation from the Independent Insurance Agents of America, “the Big ‘I’.” Ross, who has doggedly opposed the Obama administration on health care reform, received the award at the group’s legislative convention in Washington. He was also the keynote speaker.
In an official press release, the group said Ross has represented the interests of independent insurance agents well in the health care debate. “Rep. Ross is a true Blue Dog Democrat who practices what he preaches,” Robert A. Rusbuldt, president of the association, said in a statement. “Mike is us.”
The Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan campaign research organization, lists insurance as among the top five industries donating to Ross for his 2010 re-election.
Okay, let’s dispense with the half-truths here. Mike Ross didn’t take on the public option and remove any sort of competition in the market, vote for Stupak and then against the final bill, lie and Latino bait with his “illegal aliens” Joe Wilsonish scare tactic, and now stand ready to vote against the final bill despite his demands being met and his penning of that crappy op-ed extolling the virtues of many of the components of the bill while never laying out his reasons for voting against it, all for the sake of independent insurance salesman. He did it because the companies’ PACs dumped money into his coffers. They did that because they don’t want to have to compete with the public option and thus actually find ways to make their products appealing to consumers. And now, they’re being displayed proudly as Mike Ross’s base.
We’re after Blanche Lincoln this year, and I think we’re going to run her out on the rail so to speak. Ross avoided a primary challenge for 2010, but as I’ve said before and will say again, we’re going to go after him in a big way come 2012. And he won’t be able to hide from his record.
Recently, Mike Ross decided to pen an op-ed to roll call discussing health care reform. And, needless to say as this is Ross we’re talking about, the thing is so full of lies and misinformation that it’s only suitable as bird cage liner. Let’s take it apart piece by piece, shall we?
The health care reform process has been a never-ending odyssey of misunderstandings, miscalculations and misinterpretations. As a result, most Americans remain confused, scared, angry or all of the above. I believe the overwhelming disdain for incumbents we now see in this country is a resounding rejection of politics as usual, and, in particular, how both political parties have conducted themselves over the past year on this very important issue.
Every American understands that our health care system is broken on a fundamental level and needs change. In a capitalistic society, the universal principle of every business is profit. Without it, you don’t exist. Therefore, health insurance companies will do everything they can to make a profit. As a capitalist, my instinct is to defend a private company’s right to turn a profit and keep its doors open. However, when that profit comes at the expense of the lives and health of countless Americans, we are forced to evaluate the practical approach of pure ideology and conclude that it simply does not work in a debate about health care — and it never will.
One thing in this debate is clear: The status quo is simply not acceptable, nor is it sustainable. Next to making adequate health insurance coverage available for the uninsured and underinsured, the skyrocketing cost of health care in this country is the most pressing reason why we must act. We can never get our deficits under control or balance our budget again unless we can stop health care costs from rising at twice the rate of inflation. In the past eight years, premiums have grown four times faster than wages. And the first $900 those of us with insurance pay in premiums goes to cover the costs of treating the uninsured in emergency rooms across this country. Ensuring American citizens have quality health care and making it both affordable and accessible is key to the long-term strength of our economy.
He really is a shameless lying dog. Here he is saying we can’t allow the status quo to continue, but he’s fighting to preserve it. He lays out a list of indictments against our current system, but still fights reform tooth and nail. I’d call him a snake but it’d be an insult to snakes.
There are three ways we can fundamentally reform our health care system: insurance industry reforms, containing costs and affordability. First and foremost, we must reform the way the health insurance industry operates. Every family needs and deserves health insurance much like they require utilities to heat their homes, and our laws should regulate health insurance companies just as they regulate the utility companies today, including prohibitions on pre-existing conditions, canceling your coverage when you get sick and caps on the total amount they will pay for your health care expenses over a lifetime.
All of that is in this bill he’s voting against…
Secondly, we must explore every available cost-containment measure, and no proposal on Capitol Hill goes far enough in this arena. Every step possible must be taken to root out waste, fraud and abuse, and we need historic investments in preventive medicine, such as physical education in schools and early detection programs.
Finally, we cannot and should not move from our current employer-based health care system, which is uniquely American. Instead, we must build on what we have, which most Americans like, and make it better. It should be more affordable for employers and more portable for employees. As a former small-business owner, I feel strongly that we must protect our small businesses — the backbone of the American economy. That is why I oppose employer mandates and why I support a “marketplace” that allows small businesses and the self-employed to come together as one big group, having greater leverage to bargain with the insurance companies for better prices and quality coverage. This is how large companies and government employees, including Members of Congress, have access to affordable insurance, and I believe every American should have access to the same coverage I do.
Small business-fine and dandy. But big businesses like Wal-Mart should take care of their employees. Oh, and by the way, it would be nice if we could get the excellent coverage these guys in Congress have. Maybe instead of fighting to kill health care reform so hard Ross should be working to get us some sort of arrangement like he currently enjoys.
I feel strongly that a majority of Americans are ideologically in the middle, as am I, and I believe the middle is from where we should legislate. If there is one thing my hardworking parents and my small-town values have taught me throughout my life, it is that common sense must always rule the day. However remote, I look forward to that day on Capitol Hill.
That’s it? No indictment of the bill you’re opposing? No reason for him standing in the way of reform now that his insurance company buddies got their way and seemingly killed the public option? (There’s still a chance to bring it back in the future.) Talk about pathetic.
There’s really no room for doubt here. Mike Ross represents the worst in our politics, and not just because he’s a walking ethics issue or a poster child for why we need campaign finance reform. In this crap he’s peddling, he’s showing off a trait that is worse than any of that-his willingness to lie.
But there’s hope. Ross got off without a primary challenge this year, but there’s always the next cycle. That’s one of many reasons why it’s so important to hold Blanche Lincoln accountable and get Bill Halter elected. If that happens, it breaks open the gate and provides the first nail in the establishment’s coffin. Whenever I talk about that with regards to Ross I always get these shrugs and some remark about how entrenched he is. But there’s plenty of reason to take him on and, I’m convinced, a chance to replace him with a better Democrat.
records kept by the Sunlight Foundation, a watchdog group, show numerous lobbyist-organized fundraisers for Democrat Mike Ross. But apparently none of the lobbyists or PACs helping him crossed the disclosure threshold. There are no bundling reports filed by Ross or his leadership PAC for 2009.
Now, what Ross is doing isn’t really illegal, but it’s very unethical. The law in question here is a bit of ethics legislation put into place in the wake of the Abramoff scandal. The article explains its purpose, and its weakness:
One of the ideas behind the law, passed after the Jack Abramoff scandal, was to shed additional light on the influence of lobbyists who help raise campaign money. But critics say the disclosure rules allow a lot of lobbyist-related fundraising to go unreported.
Now what’s really sad about this is that I remember in the runnup to the 2006 elections, Ross was Mr. Ethics himself. As I recall, he even turned down a bag of popcorn from the boy scouts to send a message on gifts. Kind of funny to see that all peeled away now and revealed to be nothing but a bunch of postuering and hypocricy. Again, what Ross is doing isn’t illegal, but it is unethical and embrassing to his state and district. He managed to get off lightly this year, but neither this or any of his past antics will be forgotten. After we’re done with Lincoln, we’ll be focusing in on him for 2012.
Mike Ross sure isn’t taking any pains to hide who his base really is: